There is much coverage on the BBC at the moment regarding the menopause. Twenty-five years ago I was going through mine. It was an awful time as I recall. My symptoms were really awful, especially at night. I would get awful hot sweats, but the worst thing was the frightening heart palpitations. Even at 77, I still get them occasionally, though not anywhere near as scary. I can usually control them with breathing exercises.
In the 1990s though, I really thought I had a heart problem and frequently complained to my GP. I had tests eg, wearing a 24 hr heart trace, but nothing abnormal showed up. The annoying thing is, I was never given any explanation for my symptoms, as to whether it was actually the menopause causing it. I got the impression that I should just go away and put up with it. I felt I was wasting their time. Many of my friends didn't seem to have the same symptoms as me and I felt very alone, with mine. I was never offered HRT as the doctor I saw at the time said it wasn't "the be all and end all" cure!
Aa a result I spent many nights lying in bed, thinking I was going out of my mind.
It's great to know that times have changed for the women of today and that the menopause is discussed openly and more sympathetically.
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